Stitches
by Binch
Summary: In which Kakuzu becomes a fashion icon, and Sakura gets a new coat.


Haruno Sakura, despite her confident outward appearance, was actually a very insecure person at times.

Though it had been nearly two weeks ago, Ino-pig had all but insulted her entire wardrobe and it had been pecking at the back of her mind ever since. She knew that Ino did that just to get on her nerves, always trying to embarrass her in front of Sasuke-kun, but she couldn't help but shake the smidgen of doubt. She found herself glancing at her red qipao and generally red wardrobe and discovered that no matter how much she tried to shrug it off, it just kept coming back like an annoying itch.

That was why now was the opportune time for her to one up that pig and destroy any self-doubt that was left.

You see, her parents were travelling merchants, though they were generally out of the village, today they'd requested her to come along in hopes of shaking the ninja out of her and converting her to the merchant world (she knew their tricks by now). Though usually she'd have rejected their offers to join them, today she'd felt the pull of inspiration and hopped on the bandwagon.

Now, here she was, in the middle of a town off the border of fire country, peering through store windows looking for something that would leave Ino-pig speechless. Maybe even make Sasuke-kun compliment her.

A tall task, she knew.

But that was when she saw it.

No, it wasn't in a store window, it wasn't delicately folded on a vendor's stand, no, it was draped on a very tall, very intimidating man. He was so grunge, with his full face mask and all dark clothes from head to toe. Even the line through his steel headband just screamed 'rebel'.

But no matter what type of aura the man gave off, nothing could draw the young Haruno's eyes away from the magnificence of _it_. It was glorious, with its sleek high collar (very in-fashion, Sasuke-kun wore high collars almost every day) and beautiful pattern of burgundy clouds on a black backdrop. It was so couture, a statement piece, the type of twist that would make Ino gape like a fish and wonder why all her clothes were so tacky compared to _that_.

She had to have it. She, Haruno Sakura, would be the owner of that coat.

It would be done.

Gathering her nerves in the name of fashion, she squeezed through the crowd in pursuit of the fashionable man wearing the magnificent coat. Men, women, and children alike yelped as the girl's skinny hips rammed into their sides. Elbows were thrown, threats were made, but she was a girl on a mission and her rampage did not come to an end until she was standing in front of the stranger.

Placing her fists on her hips in a stance of mock confidence, she turned her head up at the man to look straight into his eerie red and green eyes (was coloring your eye whites in right now?) and sucked a breath in through her teeth.

"Hi sir, can I ask you where you got your coat?"

He blinked. Once, twice.

"No." He said simply.

With that, her entire world came crashing down. What was it with these divas and their need to keep their fashion secrets to themselves? How selfish.

She clasped her hands together, widening her eyes and pouting her lips.

"Pleeeeeease tell me?" She fluttered her lashes.

He stared at her for a moment, before turning on his heel and walking away.

Fuck! Her coat was leaving!

"Wait!" She called out desperately, "Please!"

His gait never faltered and for a moment she was terrified she'd lose her beautiful, precious, magnificent coat.

"I'll pay you for it!" She begged in one last plea, and her eyes widened when he halted immediately.

Yes!

"How much?" He said in all seriousness as he turned towards her. She couldn't fight a gulp.

"H-How much do you want?" She asked, eyeing him warily.

"Three thousand ryo."

No!

"What?!" She gasped, "That's way too much! One thousand five hundred!"

"It's from a rare collection. Two thousand eight hundred."

She looked at him hawkishly, then down at the coat longingly.

It didn't take long for her to make a choice. This was life or death.

"Deal. Come with me." She said as she motioned for him to follow.

The young girl lead the way through the crowd, which seemed to part for her as she went. She glanced back at the man.

Must be a perk of being a fashion icon.

Eventually, the two came to a rolling halt in front of her parent's stand.

"Two thousand eight hundred ryo." Her companion stated bleakly, like he was stating the weather but in an oddly more threatening way. He held out his hand expectantly.

One look at the man and her father turned over every cent.

The man picked up his earnings, flicking through the bills at an extraordinary speed, and with graceful precision, he slid out of his coat after stuffing the bills into his wallet and dropped it into a waiting pinkette's arms.

Sakura cheered.

The Haruno's never brought their daughter with them on business again.

* * *

*3 months later*

"Kakuzu," Pein called as he tapped his desk with his finger, "What happened to your coat?"

"It was compromised during the mission." He said as he counted the bills in his wallet.

* * *

*5 years later*

Sakura tilted her head and put a finger to her chin in thought.

"Sakura-chan?"

"Yes, Naruto?"

"What are you thinking about?"

"Hmm… I don't know it's kind of weird." She said hesitantly as she tapped her chin.

"You can tell me, dattebayo!" He grinned and gave her thumbs up.

"It's just that… for a bunch of missing-nin, the Akatsuki are really fashionable," She sniffed, "Their coats are vintage."

* * *

 **A/N: God...I couldn't stop myself from writing this... Please review! Also ik the title is boring and unoriginal but its 4 am and I'm lazy.**


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